Mrs. Gwebi Sasobi, a 64-year-old grandmother from Gasuke village in North Fly District in Western Province, had a touching moment when her eye bandage was removed after cataract surgery.
For the first time in five years, she could see her husband’s face and her daughter’s smile.
Over the past five years, Gwebi gradually lost her eyesight due to cataracts.
“Everything looks so new. I feel as though God has shown me His favour once again,” Mrs. Sasobi said as she was overwhelmed with joy looking at her surroundings.
Gwebi was among 109 patients identified by the Callan Connect project to receive life-changing cataract surgery in Kiunga, Western Province.
With funding support from the Australian Government, Callan Connect Project offers mobility, vision, and hearing impairment screening services, along with assistive device distribution, referrals and surgery for communities in Bougainville, the Kokoda Track region, and Western Province, in partnership with the respective Provincial Health Authorities.
The project demonstrates the Australian Government’s commitment to supporting inclusive services in Papua New Guinea.
Since April 2024, the Callan Connect project has provided 32,000 visuals, hearing and mobility screening services to over 10, 700 individuals from the remote areas of Bougainville, the Kokoda Track region and Western Province.
The Callan Connect project, implemented by the Callan Services National Unit, offers more than just disability diagnosis and treatment.
In partnership with Inclusive Education Resource Centers (IERC), it also provides inclusive education training to teachers in the Kokoda Track region.
Meanwhile, Kokoda Primary School teacher Ms. Stella Nave, was among the fourteen primary school teachers from the Track region to receive inclusive education training.
An educator for the past 26 years, Stella says that it is heartbreaking to see children with learning impairments often progress to the next year without the support they need.
Through the skills gained from the IERC training, Stella has been able to identify and apply practical learning strategies for two students with visual and hearing impairments.
“This training has truly empowered me.”
“After the workshop, I took the lead in conducting an in-service session on signing the alphabet and numbers for nine other teachers, including those from the Junior high school.”
